As the Oleshky ceasefire takes effect, Russia stops attacking Kherson, Ukraine.

As a localized ceasefire takes effect ahead of a humanitarian trip headed by US First Lady Melania Trump, Russia has halted strikes in the Ukrainian province of Kherson.

In order to facilitate an assistance mission into the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in southern Kherson later this week, the Russian Defense Ministry said that fighting would cease at 1:00 GMT on Tuesday. Aid deliveries and evacuations from the front-line town, which is experiencing severe shortages of food, medication, and other necessities, will be made possible by the mission.

In an effort to restart peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv after more than four and a half years of conflict, the accord was revealed on October 23 and mediated by US First Lady Melania Trump, with Pope Leo also participating.

There are still up to 2,000 people living in Oleshky. According to the UN, drone assaults and explosive mines in the vicinity have prevented them from leaving. The settlement, which had 24,000 residents prior to the war, is located across from the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the partially controlled Kherson region. Oleshky was taken over by Russian forces in the early days of their invasion in February 2022 and has been under their control ever since.

After the adjacent Kakhovka Dam was destroyed in 2023, Oleshky saw severe flooding and significant war damage. Due to the intense animosity between Russia and Ukraine that has prevented prior ceasefire attempts, the localized ceasefire is expected to persist through Saturday or longer. The relief mission’s negotiators stated that before evacuation corridors are opened, medical professionals, medications, food, and water will be transported to Oleshky.